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1950 Formula One season
The 1950 Formula One season was the inaugural FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on May 13, 1950, and ended on September 3 after 7 races. The championship consisted of six Formula One races in Europe plus the Indianapolis 500, which was run to AAA/USAC regulations. The World Drivers' Championship was won by Italian Guiseppe Farina. The Constructors' Championship did not begin until 1958. Numerous other Formula One races, which did not count towards the Championship, were also held during the year. Season summary In this first World Championship season, 14 teams (4 works and 10 independent) participated, alongside a number of privately entered cars, in the 6 European Grands Prix. Only US teams, constructors and drivers participated in the Indianapolis 500. The chassis, engine and car numbers varied from race to race. The inaugural World Championship, ran to a formula which specified engine capacity of 1.5 litres supercharged or 4.5 litres unsupercharged, saw Alfa Romeo dominate with their supercharged 158, a well-developed pre-war design, which won all six European Grands Prix. Alfa drivers consequently dominated the championship with Nino Farina edging out Juan Manuel Fangio by virtue of his fourth place in Belgium and Luigi Fagioli in the third Alfa was within contention throughout. Talbot-Lago were the most consistent of the other manufacturers represented in the 1950 season, with drivers Louis Rosier, fourth in the championship and Raymond Sommer, after being sacked by Ferrari starring at parts and points finishes for other factory and non-factory drivers. Ferrari had mixed form as the experimented with different engines and would experience mixed fortunes with Alberto Ascari finishing sixth in the championship whilst Luigi Villoresi was unplaced. The Ferrari ended the season strongly with an improved packaging fighting the Alfa's for victory at the season ending Monza GP. Maserati entries struggled with their ageing models, Prince Bira scoring points in what was often a close battle between the Maserati drivers. Simca-Gordini entered a selection of races with Robert Manzon battling to a points finish at Reims. Although the Indianapolis 500, which ran to different regulations, was included in the championship series until 1960, it attracted very little European participation and, conversely, very few American Indianapolis drivers entered any grand prix. Championship points were given to top 5 finishers (8, 6, 4, 3, 2). 1 point was given for the fastest lap. Only the best four of seven scores counted towards the World Championship. Points for shared drives were divided equally between the drivers, regardless of how many laps each driver drove. Season Review ''Round 1''- ' '1950 British Grand Prix - Silverstone. The British Royal family were present t the British Grand Prix to witness the dominant Alfa Romeo's of Nino Farina, Juan Manuel Fangio and Luigi Fagioli storm around the circuit. Fangio would retire giving the early championship advantage to his teammates. ''Round 2'' - ' '1950 Monaco Grand Prix - Monaco. The Alfa Romeo's locked out the front row of the grid and it was Juan Manuel Fangio who got away better than his teammates leading around the first lap. When they got to the Tabac corner, near the harbour they found it had been flooded by a tidal wave, Nino Farina spun from 2nd and caused a multi-car pile-up as Fango got away. He would win from Alberto Ascari in a Ferrari and Louis Chiron in a Maserati after Luigi Villoresi retired his Ferrari with a broken rear axel from second. ''Round 3'' - ' '1950 Indianapolis 500 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway. None of the championship main runners attended this race, won by Johnny Parsons in his Kurtis-Kraft. ''Round 4 ''- ' '1950 Swiss Grand Prix - Bremgarten. In Switzerland, Nino Farina earned an easy victory after his main competitor around this difficult circuit, Juan Manuel Fangio retired. Luigi Fagioli finished second ahead of Louis Rosier in a Talbot-Lago. The race would be remembered for a serious crash for French driver Eugène Martin. '' Round 5'' - ' '1950 Belgian Grand Prix - Spa-Francochamps Johnny Claes had crashed his team truck on the way to his home race and was allowed to start from the back after his race car was escorted to the circuit on public roads by night. Raymond Sommer had been dropped by Ferrari after poor pace and raced his Talbot-Lago at Spa. In the race Sommer got passed his former teammates and went off in pursuit of the Alfa Romeo's. As Juan Manuel Fangio pitted for fuel, Sommer lead the race, the first driver to take the fight to Alfa all season. Unfortunately he blew his engine and the race finished Fangio, Luigi Fagioli and Louis Rosier. Nino Farina came home 4th with a struggling car which would be important for the championship. ''Round 6'' - ' '1950 French Grand Prix - Reims The French Grand Prix was disappointing after the excitement of Spa. The Ferrari's were withdrawn after team principle Enzo Ferrari deemed them uncompetitive and the Talbot-Lago's and Maserati's overheated. Nino Farina retired from the lead of the race leaving Juan Manuel Fangio an easy victory over Luigi Fagioli and Peter Whitehead who had wowed the crowd after starting from the back. ''Round 7'' - ' '1950 Italian Grand Prix - Monza Ferrari brought a new improved car to Monza where Alberto Ascari qualified second to Nino Farina. Farina was third in the championship and needed to win. He started well with Ascari in pursuit. When he pitted Ascari took the lead, only the second time this season that an Alfa hadn't lead. Sadly ascari blew his engine.Juan Manuel Fangio was driving cautiously, cruising to the title when his car broke down. He took over a teammates car and blew that up too. Farina won the race over Ascari, who had taken over a teammates car and Luigi Fagioli. Farina was champion. Races Race Schedule Results |Grid2=Luigi Fagioli |Grid2nation=ITA |Grid2team= |Grid3=Juan Manuel Fangio |Grid3nation=ARG |Grid3team= |winner=Giuseppe Farina |winnernation=ITA |winnerteam= |2nd=Luigi Fagioli |2ndnation=ITA |2ndteam= |3rd=Reg Parnell |3rdnation=GBR |3rdteam= |FastestLapdriver=Giuseppe Farina |FastestLapnation=ITA |FastestLapteam= |FastestLap=1:50.6 |FastestLapnumber=2 }} |Grid2=Giuseppe Farina |Grid2nation=ITA |Grid2team= |Grid3=José Froilán González |Grid3nation=ARG |Grid3team= |winner=Juan Manuel Fangio |winnernation=ARG |winnerteam= |2nd=Alberto Ascari |2ndnation=ITA |2ndteam= |3rd=Louis Chiron |3rdnation=MON |3rdteam= |FastestLapdriver=Juan Manuel Fangio |FastestLapnation=ARG |FastestLapteam= |FastestLap=1:51.0 |FastestLapnumber=? }} |Grid2=Fred Agabashian |Grid2nation=USA |Grid2team= |Grid3=Mauri Rose |Grid3nation=USA |Grid3team= |winner=Johnnie Parsons |winnernation=USA |winnerteam= |2nd=Bill Holland |2ndnation=USA |2ndteam= |3rd=Mauri Rose |3rdnation=USA |3rdteam= |FastestLapdriver=Johnnie Parsons |FastestLapnation=USA |FastestLapteam= |FastestLap=1:09.77 |FastestLapnumber=? }} |Grid2=Giuseppe Farina |Grid2nation=ITA |Grid2team= |Grid3=Luigi Fagioli |Grid3nation=ITA |Grid3team= |winner=Giuseppe Farina |winnernation=ITA |winnerteam= |2nd=Luigi Fagioli |2ndnation=ITA |2ndteam= |3rd=Louis Rosier |3rdnation=FRA |3rdteam= |FastestLapdriver=Giuseppe Farina |FastestLapnation=ITA |FastestLapteam= |FastestLap=2:41.6 |FastestLapnumber=8 }} |Grid2=Juan Manuel Fangio |Grid2nation=ARG |Grid2team= |Grid3=Luigi Fagioli |Grid3nation=ITA |Grid3team= |winner=Juan Manuel Fangio |winnernation=ARG |winnerteam= |2nd=Luigi Fagioli |2ndnation=ITA |2ndteam= |3rd=Louis Rosier |3rdnation=FRA |3rdteam= |FastestLapdriver=Giuseppe Farina |FastestLapnation=ITA |FastestLapteam= |FastestLap=4:34.1 |FastestLapnumber=18 }} |Grid2=Giuseppe Farina |Grid2nation=ITA |Grid2team= |Grid3=Luigi Fagioli |Grid3nation=ITA |Grid3team= |winner=Juan Manuel Fangio |winnernation=ARG |winnerteam= |2nd=Luigi Fagioli |2ndnation=ITA |2ndteam= |3rd=Peter Whitehead |3rdnation=GBR |3rdteam= |FastestLapdriver=Juan Manuel Fangio |FastestLapnation=ARG |FastestLapteam= |FastestLap=2:35.6 |FastestLapnumber=52 }} |Grid2=Alberto Ascari |Grid2nation=ITA |Grid2team= |Grid3=Giuseppe Farina |Grid3nation=ITA |Grid3team= |winner=Giuseppe Farina |winnernation=ITA |winnerteam= |2nd=Dorino Serafini Alberto Ascari |2ndnation=ITA |2ndteam= |3rd=Luigi Fagioli |3rdnation=ITA |3rdteam= |FastestLapdriver=Juan Manuel Fangio |FastestLapnation=ARG |FastestLapteam= |FastestLap=2:00.0 |FastestLapnumber=7 }} Non-Championship Races Teams and Drivers The following teams and drivers competed in the 1950 FIA Formula One World Championship. Driver line-ups 1950 Drivers Championship final standings * * Fastest lap (1 point awarded) * † Position shared between more drivers of the same car * Only the best 4 results counted towards the Championship. Numbers without parentheses are Championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored. Notes Category:Formula One Seasons